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Sanwa
Sanwa Shōkai (三和商会) was a Japanese distributor based in Tokyo. Its address until 1946 was Shiba-ku Tamura-chō 2–15 (東京市芝區田村町二ノ十五). Source: advertisements dated August 1938 to February 1946, reproduced in , pp.72–3 and 132, and in Awano, pp.8–10 of no.274 and p.4 of no.277. From 1947 it was Chūō-ku Kyōbashi 3–7 (中央区京橋3–7). Source: advertisements dated July 1947 to January 1951 reproduced in , pp.182–3, and in Awano, pp.5–7 of no.275 and p.6 of no.276. It was an authorized dealer for various cameras from the late 1930s to the end of World War II, sometimes in association with Mizuno Shashinki-ten and Yamamoto Shashinki-ten. It was a pioneer in the popularization of subminiature cameras, distributing both the Guzzi and the Mycro. The company survived the war; in 1946 it was selling the remaining stocks of the Auto Keef and the Mycro subminiature. (The latter was sold until the early 1950s.) The company also used the "Una" (ウナー) brand for a variety of accessories, both before and after 1945. It is said that the company founded a research center called the Sanwa Photographic Science Institute in July 1949, but that this initiative was short-lived, as the declining success of the Mycro cameras threatened Sanwa's financial health. Lewis, p.62. This source incorrectly spells "Miwa" instead of "Sanwa" on pp.62, 64 and 68. Some sources , p.870, Lewis, p.75, and this page of the Asacame website. say the Baby Suzuka was made by Sanwa, but the name that appears in the advertisements for this camera is K.K. Sankō (株式会社三光). Advertisement reproduced in , p.142. See also the advertisement reproduced in this page of the Media-Planet website. Various companies called Sanwa Shōkai do exist today, but it seems that they are completely unrelated. Corporate profile of Sanwa Shōkai, founded in Tokyo in 1954; corporate profile of Sanwa Shōkai, founded in 1911 and based in Suwa; homepage of Kamera no Sanwa Shōkai, based in Osaka. Cameras distributed The dates correspond to the period when the camera is known to have been distributed by Sanwa Shōkai, not necessarily to its full production run. * Condor folders (c.1939–42) Advertisements reproduced in , pp.72–3. * Zeitax (c.1942) Advertisement reproduced in , p.73. * Semi Miss This camera is attributed to Sanwa in , p.341. * Guzzi (1938–44) and its "Baby process tank" Advertisements reproduced in , p.67, in Awano, pp.4–8 of no.277, and in Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku, pp.47–9 and 71, here at Gochamaze and here at Nostalgic Camera. * Mycro (c.1941–50) Advertisements reproduced in , pp.132 and 182–3, in Awano, pp.8–10 of no.274, in Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku, p.78, here at Gochamaze and here at Nostalgic Camera. * Auto Keef (1946) Advertisement reproduced in , p.132. Other * Una self-timer (c.1944, again c.1949) Advertisement on the fourth cover of , February 15, 1944, reproduced in Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku, p.78; advertisement in Nihon Shashin September 1944, reproduced in Awano, p.9 of no.274; advertisement in December 1949, p.67, reproduced in this page; advertisement in December 1949 reproduced in , p.182; advertisement in May 1950 reproduced in Awano, p.6 of no.275. * Una exposure table (c.1948) Advertisement on p.2 of , April 20, 1948, reproduced in Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku, p.80. * Una rangefinder Advertisement in December 1949, p.67, reproduced in this page; advertisement in December 1949 reproduced in , p.182; advertisement in May 1950 reproduced in Awano, p.6 of no.275. * Una exposure meter Advertisement in December 1949, p.67, reproduced in this page; advertisement in December 1949 reproduced in , p.182; advertisement in May 1950 reproduced in Awano, p.6 of no.275. Notes Bibliography * . Advertisements by Sanwa Shōkai in January 1946 (second cover), February 1946 (third cover), March 1946 (third cover), April 1946 (third cover), May 1946 (third cover), July 1946 (third cover), and February 1949 (p.51). * * Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Gucchī" (グッチー, Guzzi). In no.277 (July 2000). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. * Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Maikuro kamera (senzenhen)" (マイクロカメラ戦前編, Mycro camera edition). In no.274 (April 2000). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. * Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Maikuro sengohen (1)" (マイクロ戦後編1, Mycro postwar edition 1). In no.275 (May 2000). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. * The company is incorrectly called "Miwa Shōkai" on pp.62, 64 and 80, because of a wrong reading of the kanji characters 三和. The Baby Suzuka is wrongly attributed to Sanwa Shōkai on p.75. * Pp.869–70. * Advertisements on p.78, corresponding to the fourth cover of the February 15, 1944 issue, and on p.80, corresponding to p.2 of the April 20, 1948 issue. * . Advertisements by Sanwa Shōkai in December 1949 (p.67) and May 1950 (p.99). Links In Japanese: * Advertisements by Sanwa Shōkai reproduced in the Japanese camera page and the small format camera page at Gochamaze: ** Advertisement for the Guzzi in Asahi Graph September 20, 1939 ** Advertisement for the Mycro in Asahi Graph September 23, 1942 * Advertisements by Sanwa Shōkai reproduced in Nostalgic Camera by Toshio Inamura: ** Advertisement for the Guzzi dated c.1942 ** Advertisement for the Mycro in December 1949 Category: Japanese distributors